SUPER Furry Animals star Gruff Rhys will mark the release of his forthcoming solo album, Hotel Shampoo, by taking over a real hotel for the night.

Fans can sign up to try and secure reservations for the event, costing £62.50, at The Gresham Hotel, Blackpool, on February 13.

Successful candidates will receive a ticket for a concert in the ballroom and a bedroom for the night with breakfast in the morning. They will also get a signed Hotel Shampoo CD.

Rhys said: “The Gresham Hotel is to Welsh pop music what the Hilton, Las Vegas was to Elvis & co. It was opened in 1988 by the most successful Welsh language pop duo of all time, Tony ac Aloma.”

Taxi driver fined £100 for smoking

SMOKING a cigarette in his cab has cost a taxi driver £200.

James Cook of Richmond Terrace, Carmarthen, was convicted in his absence at Ammanford Magistrates Court.

The court was told that at 8.30am on Friday, August 27, last year, a licensing officer saw Cook driving a cab for Steve’s Taxis on Coracle Way, Carmarthen.

Whilst stationary at the lights, the defendant could clearly be seen smoking a cigarette in the vehicle.

Cook failed to pay a fixed penalty within 29 days of it being served, and was prosecuted.

He was fined £100 and ordered to pay £100 to prosecution costs.

MP calls for 50p a unit alcohol price

ALCOHOL should be priced at a minimum of 50p a unit, Plaid Cymru MP Hywel Williams will urge the UK Government today.

Alcohol Concern Cymru claims there are around 13,000 alcohol-related hospital admissions in Wales each year.

Mr Williams said: “A minimum pricing scheme of 50p per unit of alcohol would cut hospital admissions resulting from alcohol consumption, cut crime and go a long way to addressing the inequality between off-licences and pubs.”